A call for prayer » We can hardly listen to the news without bristling over word of the fires raging in our conference. Both Colorado and Wyoming have been hit hard. In Colorado Springs alone, more than 345 homes have already been destroyed. Our hearts break for those who have been affected so greatly by these fires.

As a church here in the Rocky Mountain Conference, let’s declare this Sabbath, June 30, a special Day of Prayer for these calamities in our territory. We need to pray for:

Those who have lost all of their earthly possessions and the 30,000-plus who are still displaced, not knowing whether their houses will be spared.

The firefighters who are doing all they can to bring the fires under control.

All those who are part of the relief efforts to help families put their lives back together, including our Church’s ACS and Disaster Response team.

Rain to help extinguish the fires.

Donna Webb, who works in communication with the local ACS team, just sent me this note about how they have been getting the word out to continue to support the relief ministry.

“CNN news has been highlighting the Colorado wildfire situation during the past 48 hours as the Waldo Canyon fire blew up. Immediately following their updates on the fires, they encourage people to do what they can to support the volunteer efforts being waged in Colorado right now. And, if you follow the link, you will see that ACS Disaster Response as well as ACS Community LIFT gets a good boost. In addition to mentioning us as part of the community of support organizations active in this effort, it also gives a list of urgently needed items as well as a direct link to our website for monetary contributions.”

Upcoming events for men and women » The Rocky Mountain Conference will be blessed with two great events in September. One for women, and the other for men.

Heart-Spa: Chosen for Such a Time as This is the women’s event. It will be held at Glacier View Ranch, Sept. 7–9, and will feature messages from Dr. Hyveth Williams. To register or for more information, contact Ginger Bell at 720-980-9006 or 303-659-1999.

The Rocky Mountain Conference Men’s Advance will be held at Red Clouds Ranch near Lake City, Colo., Sept. 14–16, and will feature messages from Karl Haffner. To register or for more information, contact Marvin Olson at 970-261-2577.

Farewell to the Kratzke family » Pastor Joel Kratzke, who has been pastoring the Three Angels and Vista Churches, has accepted a call to be a full-time evangelist with Amazing Discoveries ministry, based in Vancouver, Canada.

Pastor Joel will be greatly missed. He is known as a compassionate and thoughtful student of the Bible, and one who loves evangelism. We wish him, his wife, Valerie, and their family only the very best as they continue to serve the Lord in another field.

Celebration of Life service planned for Avery Dick » A service for Avery Dick, father of Ardis Stenbakken, will be held at 7:00 p.m., on Monday, July 2, at the Campion Church. Elder Dick helped pastor the Estes Park Church and was an active member of the Campion Church where the library is named for him.

Elder Dick pastored churches in Wyoming, the Western Slope of Colorado, Missouri and North Dakota. He was a missionary in China and evacuated twice to avoid the Communist Army. He pioneered work in the Mountain Province region of Luzon in the Philippines. He taught Greek, religion and ministerial training at Kingsway College in Ontario, Canada; Mountain View College in Mindanao, Philippines; and Canadian Union College in Alberta, Canada.

Memorial contributions may be made to Campion Academy.

Prayer needed for the Williams family » I just received a sad note today informing me that Ted and Janeen Williams lost their son, ChadSorensen. Ted provides pastoral support for the Fort Lupton Church in Colorado. I spoke with Ted, and he wanted me to share this in the Nuggets because the family would greatly appreciate your prayers. Information about the upcoming memorial services can be found here.

Glacier View Ranch receives ACA accreditation » This past week, Glacier View Ranch and the summer camp program passed the American Camping Association standards test with flying colors. To be an ACA accredited camp means the camp has met the most rigorous and respected requirements for camper safety in the industry.

We, as a conference, need to say a big “Thank You!” to Clayton Hart, GVR camp manager, Benjie Maxson, RMC youth ministries director, and the year-round and summer camp staff for their hard and careful work to meet these standards.

With appreciation » I want to take a moment to thank all who have been so supportive during my recent medical journey. It's at times like this that you realize what a blessing it is to be a part of a church family like ours.

I can’t say enough about the incredible care I received a Porter Adventist Hospital. Its mission is to “extend the healing ministry of Christ,” and I can tell you I felt that from nearly everyone I encountered during my stay.

I am recovering well and getting antsy to return to work. The surgeon won’t let me drive for another couple of weeks, so I will be at the mercy of “Nurse Diane.”

Share Good News » If you have a ministry/evangelism story to tell, please email it to [email protected] so we can share how God is working through His people in your territory.